Device Security: Discussing Two Important Security Threats

We are living in the age of advanced digital technology. All kinds of individual and digital devices are now part of our day-to-day lives. The possibilities that these devices bestow us with, the avenues of exploration that they open for us, the scope for growth that our businesses have as a result of using them, and above all, the instant communication that they make possible- all these plus many other factors make these digital devices endearing, appealing and important for us.

Now, let’s take a look at the other side of the picture. Yes, with digital technology, there’s always the other side, the one that concerns security. As digital devices turn popular, more and more cybercriminals eye them as potential means to lay hands on data, belonging to individuals as well as enterprises. Hence, there is the need to know about the basic security threats that are associated with these devices. Today, we discuss two basic and very important security threats relating to device security…

The software that you install could be dangerous

With digital devices becoming handy and easy to operate, installing software on them is now no less than child’s play. Anyone can, with basic technical knowledge, install different software that bestow on the user different kinds of benefits. There are lots of free software that you get tempted to install on your devices. Remember, these software applications that you install, they could end up causing you a lot of harm.

The very process of initiating the installation could cause trouble on many occasions. The installation programs themselves, on many occasions, cause security risks. Many free programs today support themselves by allowing (knowingly or unknowingly) malicious programs (like toolbars) to piggyback on the installation programs. Hence, users downloading and installing software should always make it a policy not to rush through the installation process and pay detailed attention to the process. One should be careful enough to deselect or avoid anything that is not the exact program that has been downloaded.

Similarly, one should download software only from official and authenticated sources. Others might come with malicious programs attached to them and end up infecting devices.

Phishing scams could catch you unawares!

Phishing scams are very common these days. All of us receive different kinds of phishing emails almost every day. Hackers resort to mass messaging to get these cleverly planned and drafted phishing emails to millions of users worldwide and within moments of receiving them, some of the users would open them and be tempted to click on the links in them or download the attachments accompanying them. Agreed that internet users today have grown cleverer and have started identifying scams, but statistics prove that there still are millions of internet users who can be cheated into clicking on links or downloading attachments coming via phishing emails. Tempting advertisements too are used to tempt users to click on them and thereby download malicious software into their devices.

Well, there is only one rule that applies here. Stay wary of all kinds of unsolicited emails, always confirm with the source, if possible, the genuineness of an email especially when you feel it’s suspicious despite coming from a trusted source. You should also have spam filters that detect such emails and save you from trouble.

The bottom line of it all is, educate yourself about the basics of device security and stay safe. Only understanding and knowledge can save you from being attacked!

Kevin Jones, Ph.D., is a research associate and a Cyber Security Author with experience in Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessments, Monitoring solutions, Surveillance and Offensive technologies etc.
Currently, he is a freelance writer on latest security news and other happenings. He has authored numerous articles and exploits which can be found on popular sites like hackercombat.com and others.

HackerCombat LLC is a news site, which acts as a source of information for IT security professionals across the world. We have lived it for more than 1 year since 2017, sharing IT expert guidance and insight, in-depth analysis, and news. We also educate people with product reviews in various content forms.

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